The two line station picture (number 2) - Melksham in 2030?

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/derailment-of-a-passenger-train-at-lewes

So how does it threaten the canal - can you put up a map showing the canal route & reservoir limits? I can't see that they can meet?

Could be almost anything - from 0% again to CPI% instead of RPI% to RPI+1%

There are two Thames Water reservoirs being planned - or are you talking about the one to be sited near Abingdon (to the south)? They can't be planning two that close to each other surely?

New name, same vision
We’re proposing a new reservoir near Abingdon in Oxfordshire to help supply water to around 15 million people across the South East. It would play a critical role in tackling expected water shortages and would also bring lasting local benefits, including new spaces for nature, leisure, and community use.

From January 2026, the South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO) project name changed to White Horse Reservoir. As our reservoir proposals have evolved, so too has their potential legacy. The proposed reservoir is a critical drought insurance policy for the next century and beyond, while also being designed as a place for people to use and enjoy for many years to come.

Thunderstorm warnings issued for parts of UK with flash flooding expected

Yellow thunderstorm warnings have been issued across the UK, with heavy showers expected to lead to flash flooding and travel disruption.

The Met Office warnings will come into force across northern England, Northern Ireland and eastern Scotland later in the day on Wednesday. The warning for northern England will remain in place until Thursday morning.

The downpours follow almost two months of dry weather, with parts of the country experiencing their first rain in weeks on Tuesday.

People in areas impacted by thunderstorms have been told by the Met Office to expect that businesses and homes could flood, transport services could be delayed and power cuts are likely.

(BBC article continues)

19 August 2026

HELP US PROTECT THE FUTURE OF THE WILTS & BERKS CANAL

Dear Member,

The proposed White Horse Reservoir in Oxfordshire could become a permanent barrier to completing the Wilts & Berks Canal and reconnecting it to the River Thames.

Wilts & Berks Canal Trust
Dauntsey Lock Canal Centre
Chippenham, SN14 4HD
Office: 0845 625 1977
info@wbct.org.uk
www.wbct.org.uk

The Trust is not opposed to the reservoir or to securing future water supplies. Our case is straightforward: if this nationally significant project is built across the historic canal route, it must be designed so that a fully navigable canal can be delivered through the scheme.

Current Thames Water proposals would flood the historic canal route and three restorable locks. They would leave major elements of the canal to be constructed later, after the reservoir is full and operational. These plans impose around £149 million of additional future cost on the Trust - roughly half the estimated cost of restoring the entire 70-mile canal, and strongly prejudice the future restoration.

This is why we have launched the White Horse Reservoir Fighting Fund. We need professional legal, planning, engineering and environmental expertise to represent the Trust effectively through the Development Consent Order process and to secure legally enforceable protection for the canal.

Our objective is to secure:

• a fully navigable canal from the Great Western Railway through to the River Thames
• the locks, channels, bridges, A34 crossing, and connection to the river Thames as part of the WHR construction
• clear responsibility for the WHR project to pay for and deliver that infrastructure
• binding provisions in the Development Consent Order so that restoration is protected.

We are asking every member who is able to help to make a donation. A contribution of any size will strengthen our ability to protect decades of volunteer effort and ensure that a single infrastructure decision does not make completion of the Wilts & Berks Canal prohibitively expensive - or impossible.

PLEASE DONATE TO THE WHR FIGHTING FUND
Visit: https://wbct.org.uk/donate/

The decisions made over the next year will determine whether the canal can ever reach the River Thames and deliver the extensive, long-term benefits to the local communities and residents. With your support, we can make sure the Trust has the expertise and resources to fight for the right outcome.

Thank you for your support at this critical point in our history.

Mike Gibbin CEO

Regulated train fares in England could increase by more than 4% next year.
The potential rise is based on the Office for National Statistics announcing that Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation rose to 3.2% in July.

The Government has not confirmed what it will do about fare rises in 2027, but last year’s 4.6% cap was one percentage point above RPI in July 2024.
If that formula is used to set next year’s increase, the cost of train travel will jump by 4.2%. That would mean an annual season ticket from Brighton to London rising by £219 to £5,423.
A flexi ticket for travel two days per week over a year from Leeds to Manchester would increase by £151.35 to £3,754.95. Sir Keir Starmer’s government froze regulated fares this year. About 45% of fares on Britain’s railways are regulated by the Westminster, Scottish and Welsh governments.
They include season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance routes, and flexible tickets for travel around major cities. Unregulated fares are set by operators, but rises in these are expected to be similar.
The Department for Transport has been approached for comment.

At around 15:54 on the 13th August 2026, 1F34, the 14:24 Southern service from London Victoria to Eastbourne, derailed around 1 mile north of Lewes station.

The service was formed of eight carriages, and the rear three vehicles derailed and overturned, coming to rest on their side on an embankment.

150 people were on the train when the derailment happened. 30 people were injured in the accident; 20 of those required hospital treatment, some with serious injuries.

The first RAIB inspectors arrived on site at 19:11 to secure evidence alongside the British Transport Police.

The RAIB has downloaded the On-Train Data Recorder and is currently analysing this alongside CCTV recordings and signalling data.

This accident took place on the Down Lewes line, where the maximum speed for a train is 70mph. The two Class 387 units on 1F34 were coupled together and were travelling at around 65mph as it approached the point of derailment.

Initial analysis shows that the driver applied the brakes at the point of derailment, and the train began to slow down.

Marks on the rail near the point of derailment are consistent with the wheels of the derailed carriages climbing over the rails.

CCTV images from 1F34 and other services show that track geometry irregularity existed on the approach to the derailment.

The RAIB says that there is also evidence of previous track maintenance activity in the area.

Several reports of rough riding in the area were also received by the RAIB following the accident.

The embankment that the railway runs on is constructed of clay and alluvial/alluvium deposits, both of which the RAIB says are sensitive to variations in the water content.

However, the RAIB says that there is no evidence to indicate that an embankment slip occurred before the accident – although it does say that there is evidence of some previous movement.

The investigation is continuing to look at
the exact mechanism by which train 1F34 derailed
the status of the track at this location and how it was inspected and maintained
the condition of the embankment, including the presence of any coincident risk factors (such as sustained hot weather, nearby structures, and vegetation), and how it was inspected and maintained
the weather conditions in the area on the day of the accident, and in the weeks and months preceding it
the effectiveness of any mitigation measures intended to address the risks of operating trains in hot weather
the condition of train 1F34 and the crashworthiness performance of the rear three vehicles of the train during the derailment
the emergency response to the accident
any relevant underlying factors, including any actions taken in response to previous relevant safety recommendations.
The RAIB have released the site back to Network Rail to allow for repairs to take place and the train to be recovery.

Have written to our M.P twice in his early days of arrival.
First reply came 4 months later.
For the second enquiry, I've received no acknowledgement 6 months on!
More Parliamentary researchers than usual needing repairs perhaps?

IIRC West Coast Railways ran the Oxenholme to Windermere service during the covid years - why not invite them to run an Axminster to Exeter St David's shuttle? At least during the morning and afternoon peaks.

I wrote a long rant to SWR about the lack of any commuter services during either peak between Axminster and Exeter. Surprisingly, I received a response within a week. It was a long, probably cut and paste job from a press release, talking about SMD and the lack of rolling stock, but failed to even mention the possibility of a shuttle service. I await a response from my MP.

Hmm. 

I'm fairly (pun intended!) happy with my 'Old Gits' Senior Railcard, as I still travel by rail sometimes these days, in my retirement.  My wife doesn't have one, but she only travels on trains about three times a year, so it wouldn't make financial sense for her to also buy one.

The other cards we do have are senior citizen bus passes, which are excellent - we can travel in to Bristol free, without having to run a car, pay for 'Park & Ride' or any of that malarkey, for example.

CfN.